396.1 PA/11–954: Telegram

The United States High Commissioner for Germany (Conant) to the Department of State 1

confidential

1373. In conversation 8 November, State Secretary Globke stated that plan now drawn up for ratification Paris agreements. Foreign policy debate scheduled for Thursday will be postponed, Cabinet will approve treaty laws in special session Friday (there will be four separate bills for NATO, sovereignty, Brussels pact, and Saar agreement.) Laws will then be submitted to Bundesrat, which has period of three weeks to consider them. Following Bundesrat session beginning December, probably December 3, treaty laws will be submitted to Bundestag for first reading. Foreign policy debate and first reading tentatively scheduled for 16–17 December but might take place week earlier. Following first reading, laws will be sent to committee. Second and third readings will take place in January. Final Bundesrat reading will probably follow at end of January or beginning of February.

Regarding Saar dispute in coalition, Globke said working party including Blankenhorn and Ophuels and two or three deputies from each coalition party now going over text of treaty in detail. Globke implied this scrutiny was intended take sharp edge off FDP and BHE criticism of Saar. He said Chancellor intended negotiate with French on those subjects already agreed on with French, i.e., economic agreements, but indicated that Chancellor would not push hard to reopen discussion on questions of principle. Globke said government was launching large-scale propaganda campaign this week to emphasize advantages of Paris Saar agreement over 1945 situation and over status quo. He felt BHE only opposing Saar agreement because of pending Landtag elections and would come around afterward. This was important reason postponement foreign policy debate. Most internal differences with BHE settled, he said, and Chancellor will discuss election law with BHE, FDP and DP Wednesday’s meeting on coalition problems. Chancellor plans to guarantee smaller parties that election law will not damage their interests, and draft law should be ready in December. Globke said it improbable that whole FDP could be brought around on Saar issue, but predicted party would split three ways in vote with one group opposing treaty, one abstaining and one voting for it. He said possibility of constitutional court case on Saar could not be excluded, but hoped Hesse Landtag elections would dissolve only SPD Land Government which might bring constitutional suit.

Conant
  1. Repeated to Paris and London.